Inside The Bills

The Bills made heavy use of their four wide sets on offense in the second half of last season with the emergence of players like David Nelson, Donald Jones and Naaman Roosevelt, following the season-ending injury to Roscoe Parrish. What that also did was limit the number of opportunities for Buffalo’s tight ends in the passing game, since they weren’t on the field. But Bills tight ends coach Bob Bicknell effectively explains what can be done to combat that challenge.

“It’s always a challenge,” said Bicknell of getting everyone involved in an offense. “It’s a challenge for (the tight ends) and I try to help them with that challenge where they can get on the field and have production. We’ve found some good receivers and we use the tight end a lot of different ways so it’s not always going to be about them catching the ball, and sometimes when they’re called on to make the big play they’ve got to make it.”

Last season the tight ends fit more of a traditional tight end role, on the line next to the tackle. The only tight end with game breaking route running ability that cold be split wide in a four wide set, Shawn Nelson, missed most of the season last year due to suspension and a bout with migraines.